§ Mr. Hayhoeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she has seen the resolution of the Hounslow Community Health Council about the discharge of handicapped and mentally ill patients into the community without proper facilities; and what action she proposes to take.
§ Dr. OwenThe resolution has been brought to the attention of my right hon. Friend. We have reaffirmed in the White Paper "Better Services for the Mentally Ill" (Cmnd. 6233) that hospital discharge policies must be realistic and take account of the local availability of supporting social services. It is primarily for the responsible consultant to decide when a particular patient is ready to leave hospital, but in my view good practice requires that the consultant should satisfy himself before hand that there are adequate support facilities outside the hospital. We are reviewing the current arrangements for registration of voluntary and private accommodation for the care and after-care of the mentally ill and mentally handicapped.